Pay360 2026: What’s the Biggest Buzzword Today?

At the event, we asked attendees a simple but revealing question:

“What’s the biggest buzzword you’ve heard today?”

The answers came quickly — and perhaps unsurprisingly, one word stood out above all others.

AI.

Across the room, artificial intelligence was mentioned repeatedly. Whether in the context of payments, customer experience, fraud prevention, or operations, it continues to dominate industry conversations. For many, it is no longer just a trend, but the central theme shaping how financial services are evolving.

But AI wasn’t the only buzzword.

Crypto also made an appearance, reflecting the ongoing cycles of hype and renewed interest in digital assets. While sentiment around crypto has fluctuated over time, it remains a topic that continues to resurface at industry events, often with a mix of optimism and caution.

Others pointed to more operational and customer-focused terms.

Words like “seamless” and “right first time” highlight the growing emphasis on delivering frictionless experiences. As customer expectations rise, these phrases are becoming shorthand for what good looks like in financial services — fast, accurate, and effortless interactions.

There were also mentions of core industry fundamentals.

KYC, KYB, and transaction monitoring may not be new, but they remain central to how institutions operate. Their inclusion as “buzzwords” reflects how regulatory and compliance requirements continue to shape innovation across the sector.

And then there were the emerging concepts.

Agentic commerce — a newer term — signals the growing interest in AI-driven, autonomous transactions and decision-making. Meanwhile, stablecoins were highlighted as another key talking point, reinforcing their position in ongoing discussions around the future of payments and digital assets.

What stands out across all these responses is the diversity of focus.

Some buzzwords reflect long-term structural change. Others point to immediate priorities. And some capture the industry’s tendency to rally around new ideas — even before their full impact is understood.

So what’s the biggest buzzword?

If the answers are anything to go by, there isn’t just one. But for now, AI continues to lead the conversation — with plenty of others close behind.